Liquid crystal display device and fabricating method thereof

ABSTRACT

A thin film transistor substrate for applying a horizontal electric field and a fabricating method thereof for simplifying a process are disclosed. In a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, a gate line on a substrate; a data line crossing the gate line having a gate insulating film there between to define a pixel area; a thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a semiconductor layer to define a channel between the source electrode and the drain electeode; a common line on the substrate; a common electrode in the pixel area; and a pixel electrode in the pixel area to form a horizontal electrode field with the common electrode, wherein the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode have an opaque conductive pattern and a transparent conductive pattern, the pixel electrode is formed by an extension of the transparent conductive pattern of the drain electrode, and a protective film borders with the transparent conductive pattern and in the remaining area thereof.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.P2004-112584 filed in Korea on Dec. 24, 2004, which is herebyincorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a liquid crystal display using a horizontalelectric field, and more particularly to a thin film transistorsubstrate and a fabricating method thereof that are adaptive forsimplifying a process.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) controls light transmittanceof a liquid crystal having a dielectric anisotropy using an electricfield to thereby display a picture. To this end, the LCD includes aliquid crystal display panel for displaying a picture by a liquidcrystal cell matrix, and a driving circuit for driving the liquidcrystal display panel.

Referring to FIG. 1, a related art liquid crystal display panel iscomprised of a color filter substrate 10 and a thin film transistorsubstrate 20 that are joined to each other with having a liquid crystal24 there between.

The color filter substrate 10 includes a black matrix 4, a color filter6 and a common electrode 8 that are sequentially provided on an upperglass substrate 2. The black matrix 4 is provided in a matrix type onthe upper glass substrate 2. The black matrix 4 divides an area of theupper glass substrate 2 into a plurality of cell areas to be providedwith the color filter 6, and prevents a light interference betweenadjacent cells and an external light reflection. The color filter 6 isprovided at the cell area divided by the black matrix 4 in such a mannerto be divided into red(R), green(G) and blue(B) ones, therebytransmitting red, green and blue lights. The common electrode 8 isformed from a transparent conductive layer entirely coated onto thecolor filter 6, and supplies a common voltage Vcom that serves as areference voltage upon driving of the liquid crystal 24. Further, anover-coated layer (not illustrated) for smoothing the color filter 6 maybe provided between the color filter 6 and the common electrode 8.

The thin film transistor substrate 20 includes a thin film transistor 18and a pixel electrode 22 provided for each cell area defined by ancrossing between a gate line 14 and a data line 16 at a lower glasssubstrate 12. The thin film transistor 18 applies a data signal from thedata line 16 to the pixel electrode 22 in response to a gate signal fromthe gate line 14. The pixel electrode 22 formed from a transparentconductive layer supplies a data signal from the thin film transistor 18to drive the liquid crystal 24.

The liquid crystal 24 having a dielectric anisotropy is rotated inaccordance with an electric field formed by a data signal from the pixelelectrode 22 and a common voltage Vcom from the common electrode 8 tocontrol light transmittance, thereby implementing a gray scale level.

Further, the liquid crystal display panel includes a spacer (notillustrated) for constantly keeping a cell gap between the color filtersubstrate 10 and the thin film transistor substrate 20.

In such a liquid crystal display panel, the color filter substrate 10and the thin film transistor substrate 20 are formed by a plurality ofmask processes. Herein, one mask process includes a lot of processessuch as thin film deposition (coating), cleaning, photolithography,etching, photo-resist stripping and inspection processes, etc.

Particularly, because the thin film transistor substrate includes thesemiconductor process and requires the plurality of mask processes, ithas a complicate fabricating process to act as a major factor in themanufacturing cost rise of the liquid crystal display panel. Therefore,the thin film transistor substrate has been developed toward a reductionin the number of mask process.

Meanwhile, the liquid crystal displays are largely classified into avertical electric field applying type and a horizontal electric fieldapplying type depending upon with a direction of the electric fielddriving the liquid crystal.

The liquid crystal display of vertical electric field applying typedrives a liquid crystal in a twisted nematic (TN) mode with a verticalelectric field formed between a pixel electrode and a common electrodearranged in opposition to each other on the upper and lower substrate.The liquid crystal display of vertical electric field applying type hasan advantage of a large aperture ratio while having a drawback of anarrow viewing angle about 90°.

The liquid crystal display of horizontal electric field applying typedrives a liquid crystal in an in plane switching (IPS) mode with ahorizontal electric field between the pixel electrode and the commonelectrode arranged in parallel to each other on the lower substrate. Theliquid crystal display of horizontal electric field applying type has anadvantage of a wide viewing angle about 160°.

The thin film transistor substrate in the liquid crystal display ofhorizontal electric field applying type also requires a plurality ofmask process thereby complicating the fabricating process. Therefore, inorder to reduce the manufacturing cost, it is necessary to reduce thenumber of mask processes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide athin film transistor substrate of horizontal electric field applyingtype and a fabricating method thereof that are adaptive for simplifyinga process.

In order to achieve these and other advantages of the invention, aliquid crystal display device according to one aspect of the presentinvention comprises a gate line on a substrate; a data line crossing thegate line having a gate insulating film there between to define a pixelarea; a thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a sourceelectrode, a drain electrode and a semiconductor layer for defining achannel between the source electrode and the drain electrode; a commonline on the substrate; a common electrode in the pixel area; and a pixelelectrode in the pixel area to form a horizontal electrode field withthe common electrode, wherein the data line, the source electrode andthe drain electrode have an opaque conductive pattern and a transparentconductive pattern, the pixel electrode is formed by an extension of thetransparent conductive pattern of the drain electrode, and a protectivefilm borders with the transparent conductive pattern and in theremaining area thereof.

A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device according toanother aspect of the present invention comprises a first mask processof forming a first mask pattern group including a gate line, a gateelectrode, a common line and a common electrode on a substrate; a secondmask process of forming a gate insulating film on the first mask patterngroup and a semiconductor pattern and an opaque conductive pattern onthe gate insulating film; and a third mask process of forming atransparent conductive pattern on the opaque conductive pattern andforming a protective film having a border with the transparentconductive pattern, wherein a data line crossing the gate line, a sourceelectrode and a drain electrode are formed of a double-layer structurehaving the opaque conductive pattern and the transparent conductivepattern, and a pixel electrode is extended from the transparentconductive pattern of the drain electrode to form a horizontal electricfield with the common electrode.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description serve to explain the principles of theinvention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a structure of arelated art liquid crystal display panel;

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a structure of a thin film transistorsubstrate of horizontal electric field applying type according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a section view of the thin film transistor substrate takenalong the III-III′, IV-IV′ and V-V′ lines in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a structure of a thin film transistorsubstrate of horizontal electric field applying type according toanother embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are a plan view and a section view illustrating afirst mask process in a method of fabricating the thin film transistorsubstrate of horizontal electric field applying type according to theembodiment of the present invention, respectively;

FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are a plan view and a section view illustrating asecond mask process in a method of fabricating the thin film transistorsubstrate horizontal electric field applying type according to theembodiment of the present invention, respectively;

FIG. 7A to FIG. 7F are section views for specifically explaining thesecond mask process;

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are a plan view and a section view illustrating athird mask process in a method of fabricating the thin film transistorsubstrate horizontal electric field applying type according to theembodiment of the present invention, respectively; and

FIG. 9A to FIG. 9E are section views for specifically explaining thethird mask process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9E.

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a structure of a thin film transistorsubstrate of horizontal electric field applying type according to anembodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a section view of thethin film transistor substrate taken along the III-III′, IV-IV′ and V-V′lines in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the thin film transistor substrateincludes a gate line 102 and a data line 104 provided on a lowersubstrate 150 in such a manner to cross each other with having a gateinsulating film 144 there between and define a pixel area, a thin filmtransistor TFT connected to the gate line 102 and the data line 104, apixel electrode 118 and a common electrode 122 provided to form ahorizontal electric field at said pixel area, a common line 120connected to the common electrode 122, and a storage capacitor Cstprovided at an overlapping portion between the pixel electrode 118 and adrain electrode 122. Further, the thin film transistor substrateincludes pads 124 connected to the gate line 102, the data line 104 andthe common line 120.

The gate line 102 supplies a scanning signal from a gate driver (notillustrated) while the data line 104 supplies a video signal from a datadriver (not illustrated). The gate line 102 and the data line 104 crosseach other with having a gate insulating film 152 there between todefine the pixel area.

The gate line 102 is formed on the substrate 150 in a multiple-layerstructure having at least double gate metal layers built. For instance,as illustrated in FIG. 3, the gate line 102 has a double-layer structurein which first and second gate metal layers 101 and 103 are built. Thedata line 104 is formed on the gate insulating film 152 in amultiple-layer structure having at least double layers including atransparent conductive layer. For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 3,the data line 104 has a double-layer structure in which a source/drainmetal pattern 111 and a transparent conductive pattern 113 are built.Herein, the transparent conductive pattern 113 is provided in such amanner to capture the source/drain metal pattern 111, thereby preventingan illumination problem caused by an exposure of the source/drain metalpattern 111.

The thin film transistor TFT allows a pixel signal on the data line 104to be charged into the pixel electrode 118 and stored in response to ascanning signal from the gate line 102. To this end, the thin filmtransistor TFT includes a gate electrode included in the gate line 102,a source electrode 110 connected to the data line 104, a drain electrode112 positioned in opposition to the source electrode 110 to be connectedto the pixel electrode 118, and a semiconductor pattern 115 overlappingwith the gate line 102 with having the gate insulating film 152 therebetween to define a channel between the source electrode 110 and thedrain electrode 112. Herein, the source electrode 110 and the drainelectrode 112 have a double-layer structure in which the source/drainmetal pattern 111 and the transparent conductive pattern 113 are built.The semiconductor pattern 115 includes an active layer 114 forming achannel between the source electrode 110 and the drain electrode 112,and an ohmic contact layer 116 formed on the active layer 114 other thanthe channel portion to make an ohmic contact with the source electrode110 and the drain electrode 112.

The common line 120 and the common electrode 122 supply a referencevoltage for driving the liquid crystal, that is, a common voltage toeach pixel. The common line 120 and the common electrode 122 have adouble-layer structure in which the first and second gate metal layers101 and 103 are built.

The common line 120 includes an internal common line 120A provided inparallel to the gate line 102 at a display area, and an external commonline 120B commonly connected to the internal common line 120A at annon-display area.

The common electrode 122 is provided within the pixel area to beconnected to the internal common line 120A. More specifically, thecommon electrode 122 includes a horizontal part 122A overlapping withthe drain electrode 112 adjacently with the gate line 102, and a fingerpart 122B extended from the horizontal part 122A into the pixel area tobe connected to the internal common line 120A.

The pixel electrode 118 is provided such that the transparent conductivepattern 113 of the drain electrode 112 is extended to form a horizontalelectric field along with the common electrode 122. More specifically,the pixel electrode 118 includes a horizontal part 118a overlapping withthe horizontal part 122A of the common electrode 122 with having thegate insulating film 152 there between, and a finger part 118B extendedfrom the horizontal part 118A in such a manner to have a finger shapeparallel to the finger part 122B of the common electrode 122. Herein,the finger part 118A of the pixel electrode 118 overlaps with a portionof the internal common line 120A. The pixel electrode 118 is formed ofthe transparent conductive pattern 113, so that it may contribute to anaperture ratio. If a video signal is applied, via the thin filmtransistor TFT, to the pixel electrode 118, then a horizontal electricis formed between the pixel electrode 118 and the finger part 122B ofthe common electrode 122 supplied with the common voltage. Liquidcrystal molecules arranged in the horizontal direction between the thinfilm transistor array substrate and the color filter array substrate bysuch a horizontal electric field is rotated due to a dielectricanisotropy. Transmittance of a light transmitting the pixel area isdifferentiated depending upon a rotation extent of the liquid crystalmolecules, thereby implementing a gray level scale.

Further, the finger part 122B of the common electrode 122 and the pixelelectrode 118 can be formed in a zigzag shape as illustrated in FIG. 4.In this case, the edge being adjacent to the data line 104 at the fingerpart 122B of the common electrode 122 can be formed in parallel to thedata line 104, or may be formed in a zigzag shape. Alternatively, thedata line 104 may be formed in a zigzag shape along the finger part 122Bof the adjacent common electrode 122.

The storage capacitor Cst is provided such that the first horizontalpart 122A of the common electrode 122 overlaps with the horizontal part118A of the pixel electrode 118 with having the gate insulating film 152there between. Herein, the first horizontal part 118A of the pixelelectrode 118 is provided in such a manner to be extended from thetransparent conductive pattern 113 of the drain electrode 112 andoverlap with the first horizontal part 122A of the common electrode 122as widely as possible. Thus, a capacitance value of the storagecapacitor Cst is increased by the wide overlapping area between thecommon electrode 122 and the pixel electrode 118, so that the storagecapacitor Cst allows a video signal charged in the pixel electrode 118to be stably maintained until the next signal is charged.

The gate line 102, the data line 104 and the common line 120 receive thecorresponding driving signal, via the pad 124 connected to each of them,from the driving circuit. The pads 124 have the same structure. Morespecifically, the pad 124 includes a lower pad electrode 126, and anupper pad electrode 130 connected, via a first contact hole 128 passingthrough the gate insulating film 152, to the lower pad electrode 126.Herein, the lower pad electrode 126 has a double-layer structure inwhich the first and second gate metal layers 101 and 103 are built likethe gate line 102 and the common line 120, whereas the upper padelectrode 130 has the transparent conductive pattern 113.

Thus, each of the gate line 102 and the common line 120 is connected,via the lower pad electrode 126 provided on the substrate 150 in thesame structure, to the corresponding pad 124. On the other hand, thedata line 104 provided on the gate insulating film 152 is connected, viaa contact electrode 160, to a data link 135 extended from thecorresponding lower pad electrode 126. Herein, the contact electrode 160is extended such that the transparent conductive pattern 113 of the dataline 104 overlaps with the data link 135. The contact electrode 160 isconnected, via a second contact hole 148 passing through the gateinsulating film 152, to the data link 135. The contact electrode 160 isextended along the data link 135 to be integral to the correspondingupper pad electrode 130.

The protective film 154 includes the pixel electrode 118, the upper padelectrode 130 and the contact electrode 160. The protective film 154borders with the transparent conductive patterns 113 included in thedata line 104, the source electrode 110 and the drain electrode 122.This is because the protective film 154 is formed in a state in whichthe photo-resist pattern used upon formation of the transparentconductive pattern 113 is left and then is patterned by lifting-off thephoto-resist pattern.

Accordingly, the thin film transistor substrate of horizontal electricfield applying type according to the embodiment of the present inventionhaving the above-mentioned structure is formed by the followingthree-round mask process.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are a plan view and a section view illustrating afirst mask process, respectively, in a method of fabricating the thinfilm transistor substrate of horizontal electric field applying typeaccording to the embodiment of the present invention.

A first mask pattern group including the gate line 102, the lower padelectrode 126, the data link 135, the common line 120 and the commonelectrode 122 is formed on the lower substrate 150 by the first maskprocess. Such a first mask pattern group has a multiple-layer structurein which at least two conductive layers are built. But, the sake ofexplanation, there will be described only a double-layer structurehaving the first and second gate metal layers 101 and 103 built.

More specifically, the first and second gate metal layers 101 and 103are formed on the lower substrate 150 by a deposition technique such asthe sputtering, etc. Each of the first and second gate metal layers 101and 103 is made from a metal material such as Mo, Ti, Cu, Al, Cr, a Moalloy, a Cu alloy or an Al alloy, etc. For example, a layer builtstructure of the first and second gate metal layers 101 and 103 employsAl/Cr, Al/Mo, Al(Nd)/Al, Al(Nd)/Cr, Cu/Mo, Mo/Al, Cu-alloy/Mo,Cu-alloy/Al, Cu-alloy/Mo-alloy, Cu-alloy/Al-alloy, Al/Mo alloy,Mo-alloy/Al, Al-alloy/Mo-alloy, Mo-alloy/Al-alloy or Mo/Al alloy, etc.Alternatively, it may employ a triple-layer built structure such asTi/Al(Nd)/Ti or Mo/Ti/Al(Nd), etc.

Then, the first and second gate metal layers 101 and 103 are patternedby the photolithography and the etching process using a first mask tothereby provide the first mask pattern group including the gate line102, the lower pad electrode 126, the data link 135, the common line 120and the common electrode 122 each of which takes a double-layerstructure.

FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are a plan view and a section view illustrating asecond mask process in a method of fabricating the thin film transistorsubstrate of horizontal electric field applying type according to theembodiment of the present invention, respectively, and FIG. 7A to FIG.7F are section views for specifically explaining the second maskprocess.

The gate insulating film 152 having the first and second contact holes124 and 128, the semiconductor pattern 115 and the source/drain pattern111 are formed on the lower substrate 150 provided with the first maskpattern group by the second mask process. These are formed by a singlemask process employing a diffractive exposure mask or a half tone mask.Hereinafter, a case where the half tone mask is used as a second maskwill be described.

Referring to FIG. 7A, the gate insulating film 152, an amorphous siliconlayer 105, an amorphous silicon layer 107 doped with an n⁺ or p⁺impurity and a source/drain metal layer 109 are sequentially formed onthe lower substrate 155 provided with the first mask pattern group by adeposition technique such as the PECVD, etc. Herein, the gate insulatingfilm 152 is formed of an inorganic insulating material such as siliconnitride (SiN_(x)) or silicon oxide (SiO_(x)). The source/drain metallayer 109 employs a single layer formed of a metal material such as Mo,Ti, Cu, AlNd, Al, Cr, a Mo alloy, a Cu alloy or an Al alloy, etc., oremploys a layer built structure of at least double layers such as Al/Cr,Al/Mo, Al(Nd)/Al, Al(Nd)/Cr, Mo/Al(Nd)/Mo, Cu/Mo, Ti/Al(Nd)/Ti, Mo/Al,Mo/Ti/Al(Nd), Cu-alloy/Mo, Cu-alloy/Al, Cu-alloy/Mo-alloy,Cu-alloy/Al-alloy, Al/Mo alloy, Mo-alloy/Al, Al-alloy/Mo-alloy,Mo-alloy/Al-alloy, Mo/Al alloy, Cu/Mo alloy or Cu/Mo(Ti), etc.

Referring to FIG. 7B, a first photo-resist pattern 168 having stepcoverage is formed by the photolithography using the half tone mask. Thehalf tone mask is comprised of a shielding part for shielding anultraviolet ray, a half-tone transmitting part for partiallytransmitting the ultraviolet ray using a phase-shifting material, and afull transmitting part for fully transmitting the ultraviolet ray. Thefirst photo-resist pattern 168 having a different thickness ofphoto-resist patterns 168A and 168B provided by the photolithographyusing the half tone mask; and the aperture part is provided. Therelatively thick photo-resist pattern 168A is provided at a shieldingarea P1 of the first photo-resist overlapping with the shielding part ofthe half tone mask; the photo-resist pattern 168B thinner than thephoto-resist pattern 168A is provided at a half-tone exposure part P2overlapping with the half-tone transmitting part; and the aperture partis provided at a full exposure area P3 overlapping with the fulltransmitting part.

Referring to FIG. 7C, the first and second contact holes 124 and 148passing through an area extended from the source/drain metal layer 109until the gate insulating film 144 are formed by the etching processusing a second photo-resist pattern 168 as a mask. The first contacthole 128 exposes the lower pad electrode 126, whereas the second contacthole 148 exposes the data link 135.

Referring to FIG. 7D, a thickness of the photo-resist pattern 168A isthinned and the photo-resist pattern 168B is removed by the ashingprocess using oxygen (O₂) plasma.

Referring to FIG. 7E, the source/drain metal layer 109, the amorphoussilicon layer 107 doped with an impurity and the amorphous silicon layer105 are patterned by the etching process using the ashed photo-resistpattern 168A as a mask, thereby providing the semiconductor pattern 115having the active layer 114 and the ohmic contact layer 116 and thesource/drain metal pattern 111 overlapped thereon.

Referring to FIG. 7F, the photo-resist pattern 168A left on thesource/drain metal pattern 111 in FIG. 7E is removed by the strippingprocess.

Otherwise, a process of forming the first and second contact holes 128and 148 and the semiconductor pattern 115 including the active layer 114and the ohmic contact layer 116 using the first photo-resist pattern 168as a mask may be replaced by a single of process.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are a plan view and a section view illustrating athird mask process in a method of fabricating the thin film transistorsubstrate of horizontal electric field applying type according to theembodiment of the present invention, respectively, and FIG. 9A to FIG.9E are section views for specifically explaining the third mask process.

A transparent conductive pattern 113 covering the source/drain metalpattern 111 and the protective film 154 making a border with thetransparent conductive pattern 113 are formed by the third mask process.Thus, the data line 104, the source electrode 110 and drain electrode112 having a double-layer structure in which the source/drain metalpattern 111 and the transparent conductive pattern 113 are built areprovided and, at the same time, the pixel electrode 118, the upper padelectrode 130 and the contact electrode 160 having a single-layerstructure of the transparent conductive pattern 113 are provided.

More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 9A, a transparent conductivelayer 117 is formed on the gate insulating film 152 provided with thesource/drain metal pattern 111. The transparent conductive layer 117 isformed from ITO, TO, IZO or ITZO, etc.

Referring to FIG. 9B, a photo-resist pattern 182 is formed on thetransparent conductive layer 117 by the photolithography using a thirdmask.

Referring to FIG. 9C, the transparent conductive layer 117 is patternedby an etching process using the photo-resist pattern 182 as a mask, thatis, a wet etching process to thereby provide the transparent conductivepattern 113 capturing the source/drain metal pattern 111. At this time,the transparent conductive pattern 113 is opened at a portion to beprovided with the channel of the thin film transistor TFT. Thus, theexposed source/drain metal pattern 111 and the ohmic contact layer 116under it are removed by an etching process using the transparentconductive pattern 113 as a mask, that is, a dry etching process,thereby allowing the active layer 114 to have an exposed structure. As aresult, the data line 104, the source electrode 110 and the drainelectrode 112 having a double-layer structure are provided. Further, thepixel electrode 118 extended from the transparent conductive pattern 113of the drain electrode 112 and the contact electrode 160 extended fromthe transparent conductive pattern 133 of the data line 104 are providedand, at the same time, the upper pad electrode 130 connected to thelower pad electrode 126 is provided. The transparent conductive pattern113 is over-etched in comparison with the photo-resist pattern 182.

Referring to FIG. 9D, the protective film 154 covering the photo-resistpattern 182 is entirely formed. In this case, the protective film 154provided at the substrate in which the photo-resist pattern 182 does notexist has a structure opened with respect to the protective film 154provided at the photo-resist pattern 182 by a spaced distance betweenthe edge of the photo-resist pattern 182 and the edge of the transparentconductive pattern 113. Thus, an infiltration of a stripper into aportion between the photo-resist pattern 182 and the transparentconductive pattern 113 is facilitated at the next lift-off process,thereby improving lift-off efficiency. The protective film 154 is formedfrom an inorganic insulating material like the gate insulating film 144.Such a protective film 154 is formed by a deposition technique such asthe PECVD or the sputtering, etc. But, it is desirable that theprotective film 154 is formed by the sputtering in order to prevent ahardness of the photo-resist pattern 182 at a high temperature.Alternatively, the protective film 154 may be formed from an organicinsulating material such as an acrylic organic compound, BCB or PFCB,etc.

Referring to FIG. 9E, the photo-resist pattern 182 illustrated in FIG.9D and the protective film 154 provided thereon are removed by thelift-off process to thereby pattern the protective film 154. Thepatterned protective film 154 makes a border with the transparentconductive pattern 113. In other words, the protective film 154 making aborder with the transparent conductive pattern 113 is left at theremaining area other than an area provided with the transparentconductive pattern 113.

Accordingly, a channel length L of the thin film transistor TFT isdetermined by the transparent conductive pattern 113. Furthermore, asmoothing is possible in accordance with a thickness of the transparentconductive pattern 113, so that it becomes possible to prevent a rubbingbadness upon an alignment treatment process such as the rubbing, etc.after forming the alignment film.

As described above, according to the present invention, thesemiconductor pattern and the source/drain metal pattern, along with thecontact hole, are formed by utilizing a half tone (or diffractiveexposure) mask in the second mask process.

Also, according to the present invention, the transparent conductivepattern is formed and the protective film is patterned by lifting offthe photo-resist pattern used upon formation of the transparentconductive pattern in the third mask process. Such transparentconductive pattern and protective film protects the metal layer at thelower portion thereof, thereby preventing an illumination problem.

As a result, according to the present invention, a process can besimplified by the three-round mask process, so that it becomes possibleto reduce the material cost and the equipment investment cost, etc. aswell as to improve the productivity.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the pixel electrode isformed from the transparent conductive pattern, so that it becomespossible to improve an aperture ratio.

Although the present invention has been explained by the embodimentsillustrated in the drawings described above, it should be understood tothe ordinary skilled person in the art that the invention is not limitedto the embodiments, but rather that various changes or modificationsthereof are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.Accordingly, the scope of the invention shall be determined only by theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising: a gate line on asubstrate; a data line crossing the gate line having a gate insulatingfilm there between to define a pixel area; a thin film transistorincluding a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode and asemiconductor layer to define a channel between the source electrode andthe drain electrode; a common line on the substrate; a common electrodein the pixel area; and a pixel electrode in the pixel area to form ahorizontal electrode field with the common electrode, wherein the dataline, the source electrode and the drain electrode have an opaqueconductive pattern and a transparent conductive pattern, the pixelelectrode is formed by an extension of the transparent conductivepattern of the drain electrode, and a protective film borders with thetransparent conductive pattern and in the remaining area thereof.
 2. Theliquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:a storage capacitor provided such that the pixel electrode overlaps witha portion of the common electrode having the gate insulating film therebetween.
 3. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the gate line, the gate electrode, the common line and thecommon electrode includes one of a single-layer structure formed of oneof Mo, Ti, Cu, AlNd, Al, Cr, a Mo alloy, a Cu alloy and an Al alloy, anda multiple-layer structure having at least two layers thereof.
 4. Theliquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:a pad connected to the gate line, the common line and the data line,wherein the pad includes: a lower pad electrode on the substrate withthe gate line and the common line; a contact hole passing through thegate insulating film to expose the lower pad electrode; and an upper padelectrode connected to the lower data pad electrode via said contacthole and formed of the transparent conductive pattern.
 5. The liquidcrystal display device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising: a datalink extended from the lower pad electrode of the data pad; a secondcontact hole passing through the gate insulating film to expose the datalink; and a contact electrode extended from the transparent conductivepattern of the data line to be connected to the data link via the secondcontact hole.
 6. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim5, wherein the contact electrode is integral to the upper pad electrode.7. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein thetransparent conductive pattern encloses the opaque conductive pattern.8. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein theopaque conductive pattern includes one of a single-layer structureformed of one of Mo, Ti, Cu, AlNd, Al, Cr, a Mo alloy, a Cu alloy and anAl alloy, and a multiple-layer structure having at least two layersthereof.
 9. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 5,wherein the upper pad electrode and the contact electrode borders withthe protective film.
 10. The liquid crystal display device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the common line is parallel to the gate line.
 11. Theliquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pixelelectrode extends from the drain electrode.
 12. A method of fabricatinga liquid crystal display device, comprising: a first mask process offorming a first mask pattern group including a gate line, a gateelectrode, a common line and a common electrode on a substrate; a secondmask process of forming a gate insulating film on the first mask patterngroup and a semiconductor pattern and an opaque conductive pattern onthe gate insulating film; and a third mask process of forming atransparent conductive pattern on the opaque conductive pattern andforming a protective film having a border with the transparentconductive pattern, wherein a data line crossing the gate line, a sourceelectrode and a drain electrode are formed of a double-layer structurehaving the opaque conductive pattern and the transparent conductivepattern, and a pixel electrode is extended from the transparentconductive pattern of the drain electrode to form a horizontal electricfield with the common electrode.
 13. The method as claimed in claim 12,wherein: the first mask process further includes forming a lower padelectrode to be connected to at least one of the gate line, the dataline and the common line, the second mask process further includesforming a contact hole passing through the gate insulating film toexpose the lower pad electrode, and the third mask process furtherincludes forming an upper pad electrode to be connected to the lower padelectrode via the contact hole, from the upper pad electrode beingformed of the transparent conductive pattern.
 14. The method as claimedin claim 12, wherein: the first mask process includes forming a datalink extended from the lower pad electrode to be connected to the dataline, the second mask process includes forming a second contact hole toexpose the data link, and the third mask process includes forming acontact electrode extended from the transparent conductive pattern ofthe data line to be connected to the data link via the second contacthole.
 15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the contactelectrode is integral to the upper pad electrode.
 16. The method asclaimed in claim 14, wherein the upper pad electrode and the contactelectrode borders with the protective film.
 17. The method as claimed inclaim 14, wherein the gate line, the gate electrode, the common line,the common electrode, the lower pad electrode and the data link includeone of a single-layer structure formed of one of Mo, Ti, Cu, AlNd, Al,Cr, a Mo alloy, a Cu alloy and an Al alloy, and a multiple-layerstructure having at least two layers thereof.
 18. The method as claimedin claim 12, wherein the transparent conductive pattern encloses theopaque conductive pattern.
 19. The method as claimed in claim 14,wherein the second mask process includes: substantially sequentiallyforming a gate insulating film covering the first mask pattern group, anamorphous silicon layer, an amorphous silicon layer doped with animpurity and an opaque conductive layer; forming photo-resist patternshaving a different thickness by a photolithography using at least one ofa half tone mask and a diffractive exposure mask; and forming first andsecond contact holes passing through the opaque conductive layer and thegate insulating film, the opaque conductive pattern, and thesemiconductor pattern having an active layer and an ohmic contact layerby an etching process using the photo-resist pattern.
 20. The method asclaimed in claim 12, wherein the third mask process includes: forming atransparent conductive layer on the gate insulating film; forming aphoto-resist pattern by the photolithography; forming the transparentconductive pattern by an etching process using the photo-resist patternas a mask; removing the opaque conductive pattern and an ohmic contactlayer exposed through the transparent conductive pattern; substantiallyentirely forming a protective film covering the photo-resist pattern;and removing the photo-resist pattern with the protective film.
 21. Themethod as claimed in claim 20, wherein the protective film is formedusing a sputtering.
 22. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein thetransparent conductive pattern is over-etched than the photo-resistpattern.
 23. The method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:forming a storage capacitor such that the pixel electrode overlaps witha portion of the common electrode having the gate insulating film therebetween.